International Complex Arctic Expedition "North Pole-2002"

The main idea of the expedition plan

Expeditional project "North Pole-2002" is the regular leg of the International composite expeditionary program "The road to the third millennium", which held under the UN flag.

"Dialog among civilizations" and "Drugs free Planet" - these are International programs, approved by the UN, which will be fulfilled during the Expedition. The main themes of these actions will be ideas of enlarging contacts between the civilizations of our planet and resistance against one of the worst enemy of our civilization - narcotics. During these actions we plan to express main principles according to people of our planet must live in third millennium.

There should not be any place for wars, drugs, man-caused ecocatastrophes. The world where we and our children will live should be the world of harmony, good and creation!

We hope that our projects will attract attention of the widest groups of people all round the World.

"North Pole-2002" Expedition dedicated to:

• the 65th anniversary of the First Soviet drifting station "North Pole - 1";

• the 65th anniversary of the First transarctic flight from Russia to North America through North Pole, realized by the crew of Valeri Chkalov and Michael Gromov;

• the 40th anniversary of the first sailing of Soviet atomic submarine to the North pole;

• the 25th anniversary of the first sailing of Soviet atomic ice-breaker "Arctica" to the North pole;

• the 10th anniversary of raising of the first Russian flag on the North pole;

• the 20th anniversary of Expeditional Center "Arctic".

On April 2002 in commemoration of this historical event on the North Pole there will take place a large-scale international social and sporting action. During the Expedition there will be parachute jumps, balloon flights, divings at the geographic point of the North Pole, "round the globe race" on rovers and rugby match. In the end of the action all participants in the unique arctic conditions will have an opportunity to celebrate the anniversary of these so significant historical events in the Arctic's developing and the anniversary of Expeditional Center "Arctic" too.

In our expedition will take part wellknown travelers, sportsmen, tourists, politicians and journalists.

The expedition program "North Pole-2002" worked out and prepared by Expeditional Centre "Arctic" of Russian Geographic Society. Our center was founded in 1992. Every year since 1992 we organize difficult even unique trips to the most difficult to access places on our planet, especially the far North of Russia, Arctic Ocean coast and Antarctic, for well trained, enduring, brave men, fond of travelling. There were successfully conducted three large-scale international parachute expeditions to the North Pole.

On April 1992 during the first parachute and ski expedition "Rainbow over the Pole" on the North Pole for the first time was hoist a Russian flag.

In 1994 a group of eight skiers first in the World managed to reach the North Pole being completely self sufficient without any outside help.

In 1998 a team of 4 people from the Expeditional Centre managed to ski from the Russian coast to Canada across the North Pole. This new world achievement was praised as the most unique expedition of the 20th Century by experts in the field of the extreme expeditions and the world sport community.

In 1999-2000 an International Complex Antarctic Expedition to the South Pole was marked off by the General Secretary of the UN Kofi Annan.

Great admiration was paid to the Center's activity by world famous foreign travelers such as Tour Heerdal (Norway), Edmund Hillary (New Zealand), Jeff Sammers (UK), Reinhold Messner (Italy) and others. The Expedition projects of the Center are supported by the "Explorers Club" (USA).

PRELIMENARY PROGRAM OF THE EXPEDITION 10-21 of April 2002

The International Complex Arctic expedition "North Pole-2002" will take place from the 10 to the 21st of April 2002.

• Parachute jumps to the geographic point of the North Pole from board of an Il-76 plane or an An-26 plane;

• Cargo landing;

• Additional parachute jumps from a Mi-8 helicopter;

• Balloon flights;

• Scuba diving in the point of the North Pole;

• 5-6 days tourist ski trips from the Ice Base to the North Pole;

• Rugby match on the North Pole;

• Conducting of mass actions in the point of the North Pole in the context of the UN programs "Dialog among civilizations" and "Drugs free Planet";

• Special advertising campaigns in the interests of sponsors.

APPROXIMATE DATES OF THE EXPEDITION

1st day	Arriving of participants of the expedition in Moscow;
2nd day	Airport transfer, boarding a plane, flight from Moscow to Khatanga, hotel, acclimatization (three meals a day);
3th day	First group of skiers take off from Khatanga to the Ice Base;
3th day	The group of skydivers, frogmen and other members of the expedition take off to the North pole;
4th day	Khatanga: excursion, preparation for landing on the Pole; the Ice Base: start of a ski-trip from the Base to the North Pole;

	5-7th days	The Il-76 plane flight to the North Pole, parachute jumps to the point of the North Pole;
	8-10th days	Evacuation of the members of the expedition from the Ice Base and flight to Khatanga;
	11th day	Flight from Khatanga to Moscow, hotel transfer, furshet, presenting of the certificates;
	12th day	Departure of the participants of the expedition from Moscow.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

• Warm individual sleeping-bag designed for minus 35 degrees centigrade, a rug;


• Warm cloth (shoes, overalls, jackets, gloves, sweaters, special wind-proof woolen masks, sun glasses);

For skydivers:
• Warm and comfort cloth for parachute jumps;


• Goggles;


• Helmet;


• Parachute suit and rigging (use only square parachute).

N.B. The temperature on the ground minus 35 degrees centigrade, in the air minus 50.
The rest depends on your needs, but remember the cargo weight transporting for free (see the price list).

To buy or to made warm cloth and gear you may in Russian company "Bask" www.bask.ru. It's production made a good showing in high-latitude and polar expeditions.

By placing the order for manufacturing of equipment through Expeditional Centre "ARCTIC" you can receive the essential discounts up to 20%.

Before and after the expedition a participant, if he/she so desires, may change some details of the trip, to attend an excursion program and / or an additional parachute jumping program in a drop zone near Moscow (for extra cost).

The form to be filled out for joining the expedition:

1. First and second names;
2. Passport data;
3. Date of birth (date,month,year);
4. Country (citizenship);
5. Certificat and license (for parachute-jumpers, tandem-instructors, divers and aeronauts);
6. Insurance policy (for all members of the expedition);
7. Weight of the rigging;
8. Do you need any additional equipment, gear or clothes?
9. Are you interesting in some more excursions and/or programs?
10. Contact address, telephone number, fax, E-mail.

Organization committee of the expedition program address:

P.O. Box 40, 117246, Moscow, Russia, Regional public Fund of expedition activity support “ARCTIC” of Russian Geographical Society

tel./fax: 007 (095) 203-60-69

e-mail: chukov@arctica.msk.ru